by Iyanla Williams
I personally thought that everything changed in high school. How I acted, who I would choose to spend my time with, going to school with people that are a lot older than me, even walking up a ton of stairs. I was super excited for the big change that was supposed to happen, but it never did.
When I shadowed Oct. 26 almost a year ago I was extremely confused, all the girls walking in different directions, and the four huge buildings. I quietly followed my shadow around to all her classes, observing everyone calmly going about. In most of her classes I was asked pointless questions like what my favorite Disney princess is, and what my favorite number is.
The only bad part was that my shadow had five tests, so I really didn’t get to experience what class was like. It’s not like it mattered much though, I was already sold to STA before I even shadowed. Almost every girl from Visitation went to STA, and I wasn’t going to be different.
Even though my shadow had several test that day, she still found time to tell me all the wonderful things I would experience at STA, the sisterhood, and all the friends I would make. How teenagers ranging from thirteen to eighteen could magically become friends, and I believed everything she said.
About a week ago we had Star Seminar and we talked about shadows, how we should make them feel amazing , and to show them how wonderful being a star is. Now I listen to my friends talking about how to persuade their shadows into coming to STA. I wonder will they tell them everything I was told; has them believing everything that I believed.
I thought STA would make my high school experience perfect and that I would be acting more mature, more independent. Those were obviously unrealistic beliefs because I still find myself having fights with my friends over muffins.
The third week of school my friends and I had several fights over muffins, and we have Gwyn Doran to blame for them. She brought her mom’s homemade muffins to school causing multiple fights to happen. Especially between Payton Drummond and Isabel Burnett who aren’t particularly fond of sharing food.
This wasn’t the first time my friends have argued over something as pointless as a muffin. In grade school we fought over pointless things too many times to count. So when school started my ‘everything is going to change’ belief slowly went away. High school became grade school just harder, and with more muffin fights.
Based upon my shadow visit school at STA was nothing like it. I wasn’t friends with seniors, or even juniors for that matter. I haven’t experienced that perfect day like when I shadowed, and I probably never will.
I trusted the shadow experience at STA and what it represented, just as much as I trusted the person I shadowed. I’ve come to the conclusion from shadowing and now having someone shadowing me that shadowing at STA is not realistic because everyone tries to make that day perfect, but by them making it perfect it’s shielding the shadow from what high school at STA is like.
I think that instead of trying to make the shadow’s day perfect that we should show them both sides, the good, the bad, and the ugly of STA.
Katie (senior) • Oct 3, 2013 at 5:51 pm
I agree with the comment above. You are just starting out high school and it’s going to be scary and awkward and not perfect at first. You aren’t going to find a place without any confrontation or issues no matter where you go. People disagree, but I don’t think justifies the statement that we misrepresent our school to our shadows. If the biggest problem you have right now with your friends is over some muffins I think you’re alright. As a senior I fully believe all the things we tell the shadows about the sisterhood and maturity students have here. I think you might be taking for granted all of the amazing things about the sisterhood that you couldn’t find at just any school. Yes, things will be difficult at first, but it is how you grow as a whole class that makes the sisterhood stronger. You’re just starting your journey. Wait until your senior year and see all the friends you’ve made and how misinformed your initial judgement might have been. Maybe I just don’t know the freshman class, but honestly neither do you yet. The STA you’re writing about in this article isn’t the school I know.
I hope you’ll learn to see the sisterhood differently,
Katie (Senior)
Annonymous • Oct 3, 2013 at 10:10 am
Honey, I hate to break this to you, but change isn’t going to happen just because you walked through the doors. In highschool, you have to change, you can’t expect the highschool to change you immediately. Freshman year is hard at first, but those first couple weeks are when the changes happened. If you have issues with your friend group, talk to them, don’t call them out in a school article that misrepresents St. Teresa’s. Good luck, and give it more than one month’s judgement..